Robbie Swinnerton serves up morsels from the foodiest city on the planet

Kyoto

02/25/2015

In late January, I was back in Kyoto, this time to attend the Washoku-do symposium, an event — hopefully annual — sponsored by the Japanese government to back the propagation of washoku (Japanese cuisine) around the world.

The event brought together some of Japan’s most revered chefs, including Yoshihiro Murata, of the renowned Kyoto kaisekirestaurant Kikunoi, and Toru Okuda, of Kojyu in Tokyo.

Several top French chefs were also invited, among them Alain Ducasse — who was also one of the judges in the World Washoku Challenge, a cooking competition for non-Japanese chefs.

I managed to speak at some length with Chef Ducasse about the event, about the participating chefs in the cooking competition and about his love of washoku.

06/18/2014

Back down to Kyoto, back again to Sojiki Nakahigashi — this time in early June. The produce and wild herbs of late spring/early summer are quite different to those in winter. But the depth of pleasure of arriving once again at this special restaurant – so unprepossessing yet so welcoming, fascinating and satisfying – remains unchanged.

Here are three standout moments from that remarkable evening:

• Funa-zushi from Lake Biwa. Fermented over one year. Gentle acidity and creamy, almost cheese-like texture/flavour to the rice. Extraordinary levels of umami and flavor. Served at Sojiki Nakahigashi, along with water snails from local rice paddies. Wow.

• Shinjo (soft white-fish dumpling) made with garden peas, topped with fresh peas and iwa-nashi (Epigaea asiatica, a wild seed with a taste faintly reminiscent of pears), plus a strip of bachiko (the preserved ovary of namako [sea cucumber]). Served along with tender, gelatinous junsai, with a whole yuzu flower added as an accent.

Beautiful, fascinating, delicious.

• Dinner draws to a close, as it always does, with coffee. Cold-brewed, using beans from Papua New Guinea, it is poured with a flourish (and plenty of bubbles) by Chef Nakahigashi's son.

03/30/2014

Looking back to last month, the camellias were coming into gorgeous bloom in our garden...

They were in full bloom throughout Kyoto too when I made a quick foray down there in mid-February. And also on the plate, when we dined at Sojiki Nakahigashi, the wonderful little ryoriya near Ginkakuji. This was the opening plate of seasonal appetizers, featuring a "camellia" of aka-kabu turnip, with stamens of ground yuzu peel on a base of dried persimmon...

As for the rest of the plate, here is short run-down of what we were served.

The grilled fish (right of the #flower") was grilled masu trout, served with a black bean. The nanohana greens were simply seared over charcoal. Under them was a single simmered oyster. The small dried fish at the front were just lightly seared. Under the shiny camellia leaf were ink-black wild mushrooms that had been foraged in the fall and preserved. And at the front right, buri yellowtail aged in koji (kojizuke) layered with kabura turnip pickled in shio-koji.

Symbolically, this dish marked the path from winter into spring. Beautiful poetry on a plate, by Chef Hisao Nakahigashi.

At the time we were there (mid-February), Chef Nakahigashi had just finished a long session of shooting with an NHK camera team in his compact kitchen. The results will be aired tomorrow (Monday 31st March) as part of its prestigious "Professionals" series.

12/22/2013

Kogashi means burnt. Literally. Oil and garlic are ignited in the wok, filling the kitchen with fire and billowing smoke. This is done for each order, which means that at the peak of the meal times, you see these explosions happening every couple of minutes. You won't find ramen more dramatic than this.

There are three Gogyo restaurants: two in Tokyo, in Nishi-Azabu and Yoyogi-Uehara; and one in Kyoto (which is where these photos were taken).

It's located in a converted wooden townhouse, just around a corner from the Nishiki Market street. It has a small counter where you get to sit back (in simple comfortable armchairs) and watch the show in the kitchen. There's also a nice quiet dining room further back, and tatami seating upstairs. Plus a small hidden bar even further back, housed in the old kura warehouse, accessed through a small entrance, if you want to linger in the evening.

BTW: Gogyo also serves a pretty good tonkotsu ramen. But it's just not what you go there for.

06/29/2013

Even more perhaps than the previous two issues, it is a feast for the eyes — great articles on the people and places that really count in the world of food and eating, superb photography, and all beautifully laid out.

This piece in particular caught my eye. It's a profile of Miyamasou, the remarkable and legendary ryokan in the mountains to the north of Kyoto, and its owner-chef Hisato Nakahigashi.

The piece is written by Junya Yamasaki, himself a chef — at the excellent and innovative Koya Udon in Soho (London)…

…and those very atmospheric photographs, all in monochrome or dusk tints are by Per-Anders Jorgensen (who also cofounded and co-edits Fool, together with his wife Lotta).

Like the restaurant, this piece is highly recommended. As is the the entire issue.

I'm pretty sure Fool does not have any distribution in Japan as yet. I got mine by ordering direct from Sweden.

As for Miyamasou, I have still not been out there — yet… hopefully before too long.

But even if you don't have the time (and budget) for a night at Miyamasou, you can still get a vicarious taster, at the beautifully refined Oku, a tearoom/gallery in the heart of Gion. The obanzai lunch is a treat.